Dec 2, 2010

Well hello, that was a bit of an unexpected blogging break! November really did a number on me it seems. I managed to half write two blog posts and then not finish them or publish them. We did still manage to get plenty of undocumented larking around done, but nothin' in bloggitty blogland. Sorry about that. December has been just as sparse on the blogging front around here too, because we flew off to Blighty a couple of weeks ago, to see the fam. We'll be back in the US again in the new year, if Heathrow can pull itself together amidst all the snow, and likely things will calm down a bit for more regular happenings on Filth Wizardry :) Hope you all haven't given up and unsubscribed by then!

Thank you to all the nice folk that checked in with me to see if everything was ok over here. We're all ok, in fact things are good. The year that started out hard going with rotten health, pregnancy loss, and visas/greencard stress is happily winding up in the opposite way it seems. We have Green Cards in hand, and have a new family member on the way too. I'm at that point during the human manufacturing process where I'm queen of the chunder fairies and also feel like I've been gunned down by a zoological grade tranquilizer dart though, so don't expect me to rock the awesomometer until after the new year, when I'll be about 16/17 weeks :)

In the mean time, I wanted to post a few ideas of things to make for the kidletts for Christmas. We're currently snowed in up a mountain at a place called Rhosgadfan in North Wales, so I don't have access to all the pics on my home computer, but I'd half written this pocket softie skirt post before we left, so there are a few pics in it already for you.

One of the things I made for the girls last year and totally failed to blog about were these dinky little skirts with soft toys in the pockets. All I used was some nice patterned scrap brushed cotton, a few lengths of ribbon, and the waist band I sewed on was just an "ear warmer" headband thing from the Dollar Tree.

Little sister got the owl fabric skirt, with three little owl softies cut from the same fabric, and big sister got the outer space skirt with a softie rocket ship to go in the pocket.

I just sewed the fabric onto the headband when it was stretched taught, so that the skirt had a bit of fullness to it. The adult sized headband was the perfect size for an elasticated toddler waistband. The softies that I made from the same fabric were attached to the ribbon and sewn into the pockets so that the kids could play with them, but not loose them. They worked out really well for random waiting in line places and that sort of thing. I liked the way the softies were made from the same material as the skirt, so Ffi's little owls could even have conversations with the rest of the non 3D owl community on her clothing, and Carys's rocket ship could visit the planets on her skirt. I really need to make more now that they are a year bigger because these ones are like mini skirts on them now, and can only reasonably be worn with leggings underneath these days!

This time around, when I make new skirts I can try some better pocket sewing techniques, thanks to LiEr's tutorials! Given my current exhaustion levels, I might resort to sewing a few pockets on skirts they already have, and making ribbon pocket softies for them. I love the feel of brushed cotton, and there are so many cute kid prints available in it, that it'd also be nice to make a pillow case with a pocket and a couple of pocket softies to tuck into it at bedtime. I'm hoping to have a bit more get up and go, and a lot less barfing in the new year and that'll result in more knitty/sewy goings on.

Before I sign off and wade through some deep snow to see if the car is still burried, here are a few things from the last few of years that might work for you in the last couple of days before Christmas...

Hope those links are useful to a few of you in the last couple of days before Christmas and I hope everyone gets some lovely time with their families over the next few days. I hate to think of all those people sleeping on the floor at the airport in London, just trying to get home :( Fingers crossed that won't be us next week. In the mean time I shall be stuffing my pregnant face with fish and chips, sausage rolls, Ribena, Rusholme Kebabs, Wensleydale cheese, and all manner of other British foods that I can't get my hands on back in California! Om nom nom!!!

28 comments:

Congratulations on baby #3!!! I'm so glad that your year is ending so much happier than it started! Your softie skirts are adorable, I think I'll have to make some - and you are right that they are the perfect add-on to LiEr's brilliant pocket tutorials!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas in Wales, and safe travels back to the US in the new year.

Congrates!!!! I'm glad to here you and your family are all doing well. I look forward to seeing all the amazing things you'll come up with in the new year! I can't wait until i can start doing crafts with my daughter :)

So glad to see you back, and Congrats on the new munchkin... if you can find "air sickness" wrist bands with pressure points, those really worked for me and I had the type of morning sickness were you are too scared/ tired to leave your perch infront of the loo ALL DAY well past the 1st trial...

Wonderful news for you and your family. Wonderful for us too, that you have returned to blogland! Did catch yet another mention of your work in the December issue of FamFun. Amazingly high note to end the year for you. Congratulations!!

Linds! Happy new year! I hope Heathrow doesn't keep you away from home too long! My friend (lives in London) is stuck in NYC now, waiting to get home. What crazy weather we're having everywhere.

I love those skirts! Who wouldn't love to find little stuffies in their pockets? Especially little stuffies that will never get lost? Did you sew them by hand? Downright amazing.

So good to hear about the baby! Big hug!!!!! Am very happy. What a year this has been for you - but it looks like 2011 is set to be a brighter one. Am sorry you've had to bond with the porcelain throne so much - hopefully that phase will pass soon, and you can start enjoying everything a little more.

P.S. Saw you again in Family Fun. Whoo! Punched fist in air for you (again).

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The man that I am affiliated with also has a blog. He loves to make stuff with and for our kids as well. His domain is more in the realms of electronics, but he makes other stuff too. Check out his electronic fangling over at Fangletronics.